Not a good idea! Car full of fireworks in the Netherlands explodes after driver smokes a cigarette and throws it out the window… before the wind picks it up and blows it back inside
- Footage shows smoke billowing from the car as colorful flares shoot out
In the Netherlands, a car full of fireworks exploded after the driver smoked a cigarette and threw it out the window, only for the wind to blow it back in.
A 21-year-old man named Gerben, from Nieuwleusen in the Netherlands, bought 75 kg of fireworks for New Year's Eve in Germany on Friday.
He was only a few miles from his home when he smoked a cigarette and tried to throw it out the window, but the wind blew him straight back in, starting a fire in his black Volvo V70.
'We saw red flashes and heard a bang. It became dark in the car because of all the smoke. We thought: we have to get out of the car,” Gerben told the Dutch outlet Heart of the Netherlands.
Footage shows black smoke billowing into the sky as colorful flares shoot out in all directions.
Images show colorful flares shooting from the car full of fireworks
The inferno was caused by a cigarette that landed on the 75 kg of fireworks in the car
Meanwhile, the car's horn goes off repeatedly as fireworks explosions ring out across the country road and nearby empty field.
While his friend emerged unscathed from the inferno, Gerben suffered burns to his leg and had to be treated in hospital.
Despite attempts by the fire brigade to save the car, it eventually burned down completely.
Shocking images show the wreck, which, due to the lack of windows and the burning away of the black paint, bears little resemblance to the car before the fire.
“It's a shame that my car and the fireworks are gone,” Gerben said, adding that he doesn't expect an insurance payment to replace his car.
He said he has learned his lesson and will no longer smoke with fireworks in his car, admitting it was “not very helpful.”
Gerben said he had about 75 kg of fireworks in his car, worth several hundred euros.
He told RTL News that although setting off pyrotechnics is not allowed where he lives, he and his friends “do it anyway,” adding that they bought fireworks in Germany “most years.”
Despite his lucky escape, the 21-year-old is still planning to set off fireworks for New Year's Eve tonight.
“My friend went back to Germany this morning to get new fireworks,” he said.
Despite attempts by the fire brigade to save the car, it eventually burned down completely